Is your face hurting or helping your business? 🤔

Remember that ad where I jumped out of a box ? I've been wondering whether I should keep doing that. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ No longer interested? [Remove yourself here from all my emails.]( Hey , Ever wondered if putting your face on your business is a smart move? I've been mulling this over lately, and I thought I'd share my thoughts. Why? Because I've been there, done that, and now I'm weighing whether to do it again. Remember this guy? 👇 [Wilco jumping outside the box] Yep, that's me in one of my old ads. Talk about putting yourself out there, right? 😂 This kind of personal branding worked well for me in the past. When we ran ads for UpViral and Connectio, we always used my face and name. We even did a split test once - same ads, same videos, but one set from the branded page and one from my personal page. My ugly mug won. Better ROAS, better ROI. (BTW - curious about how I managed to sell two businesses that used my face as the personal brand? I used two different strategies, each with its own pros and cons. If you're interested in learning about these strategies (which you can implement from day one), just hit reply. I'll break it down for you ✌️) Here's a funny story: A few years back, my family and I spent three months in Bali. My son was just two months old, my daughter turned two, and I was still running UpViral. Most of our ads were video-based, and while my team could handle pretty much everything else, I still had to record those videos. I packed my camera gear, ready to shoot videos remotely. But here's the kicker - the team never sent me any scripts to record. When I got back, I asked why. Turns out, someone on my team decided to do the videos themselves. And guess what? Their ads converted better than mine. Go figure! 🤷‍♂️ This experience got me thinking about the whole personal brand thing. Now that I've sold my businesses, and I'm starting something new, I'm considering whether to use my personal brand again. It's not black and white, and I think it's crucial to make an informed decision. In my opinion, here's how it breaks down: Pros of using your personal brand: - Builds trust and authenticity - Differentiates you from competitors - Creates a stronger emotional connection with customers - Works well because people buy from people, not faceless brands Cons of using your personal brand: - Business becomes closely tied to you (less freedom) - Can be time-consuming to maintain - Makes it harder to sell the business (but not impossible - I've done it twice) - Pressure to always be "on" (hello, fellow introverts 👋) Here's the thing: These days, it's easier than ever to start a business. Great news, right? Well, it also means more competition. Using your personal brand could be what tips the scale in your favor. But before you slap your face on everything (or jump out of any boxes 😉), consider this "Personal Brand Readiness Checklist" as I like to call it: [  ] I'm comfortable being the face of my business [  ] My expertise is a key selling point [  ] I have a unique story or perspective to share [  ] I'm willing to consistently create content [  ] I'm prepared for increased public scrutiny [  ] My personal values align with my business values [  ] I have a long-term vision for my personal brand How many boxes did you tick? If you checked most of these boxes, you might be ready to leverage your personal brand. But if you didn't, don't worry - there's no one-size-fits-all approach here. Especially in today's crowded market, standing out is crucial. Your face, your story, your personality - these can be powerful differentiators. But they come with challenges. And with AI on the rise, the human touch might become even more valuable. IMHO, people will crave authenticity even more. At the same time, AI models (like Flux for images & Runway ML for video) could help create content without eating up all your time... but this lowers authenticity. It's going to be a balancing act. All in all... Personally, I'm not a big fan of using my face as the personal brand... but when it serves a purpose, I'll likely do it again (although more balanced next time). Remember, the goal isn't to be everywhere, it's to be where it matters most for your business. Talk soon, Wilco P.S. Don't forget - if you want to know how I sold businesses closely tied to my personal brand, just reply to this email. I'm happy to share my strategies with you! No need to jump out of any boxes, though. 😉 P.P.S. Just dropped a new YouTube video that I think you'll love: "The Ultimate Business Framework: Lessons After 3 Exits" ( [ ). In it, I break down the key principles I've learned from selling three successful businesses. If you're curious about what I consider the perfect business model, check it out and let me know what you think! [Wilco de Kreij] Thanks for reading ! 🙏 My mission is to give small businesses the marketing power of giants. Inside my emails, you’ll get proven best practices, innovative strategies and real-world tactics that I’ve learned in my businesses. Prefer not to receive these emails? No problem - you can [unsubscribe]( at any time. This email reached you at {EMAIL} because you signed up for my newsletter or purchased one of my products. You can always [unsubscribe]( or [change your details](. Emarky B.V., Gageldijk 21, 3602AG Maarssen, The Netherlands